Railway-joint.



No. 767.468. Y Patented Aug. I9, |902.

T. L. wATTs.

RAILWAY JOINT.

(Applieariw mad .m1, 1s, 1'902.)

(No Model.)

rail-sections.

UNTTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

THORNTON L. VATTS, OF MUNCY VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming' part Of Letters Patent No. 707,468, dated August 19, 1902. i

Application led January 18, 1902. Serial No. 90.348. (No nmrlel To a/ZZ whom, z'ft ntay concern:

Beit known that I, THORNTON L. WATTS, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Mun cy Valley, in the county of Sullivan and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a speciiication. Y

This invention relates to a rail-joint of that class Wherewith a truss is employed; and the object of the same is to provide an efficient means for joining rail-terminals and embodying a tenon-and-mortise construction, together with a securing and bracingV truss which will effectually hold the rail-terminals in close operative relation and prevent depression thereof as well as laterallmovement or spread and wherein the usual sh-plates and transverse connecting-bolts are dispensed with.

The improved rail-joint is not only leffective as a connecting means, but also prevents the pound on the ends of therails andY material wear pn car-wheels passing over the joint and is therefore particularly well adaptedfor use on bridges or trestle structures to reduce the vibration and strain prevalent in the ordinary rail assemblage.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing rail-terminals and embodying the improved joint, together with the truss attachment. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the truss attachment applied to rail-terminals, which are shown Vin side elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate the railsections,which are terminally joined, the section 2 having a shouldered tenon 3 on its end, which is ittedin a corresponding mortise 4t in the section 1, enough play being provided to permit contraction and expansion of the Each section adjacent to the base-flange thereof is formed with a transverse slot 5, extending entirely through the web and at a suitable distance from the engaging ends'of the sections.

The truss attachment comprises a chair or base-plate 6, with overhanging side iianges 7, having recesses 8 adjacent the ends thereof to receive railroad-spikes for securing the complete truss attachment to adjacent ties. The chair or base-plate also includes upwardly and inwardly inclined retaining-flanges 9, which engage opposite sides of the webs of the rail-sections 1 and 2, as clearly shown by Fig. 3. These iianges 9 also have transversely-extending slots 10 to coincide with the slots 5 `inthe webs of the rail-sections, and depending from the chair or base-plate Glare transverse guard-ribs 11. One of the salient structural features of the chair or base-plate is a depending longitudinally-dared brace member 12, comprising top bars 12, with a vvertically-disposed brace-partition 13 at the center and outwardly and downwardly inclined partitions 14 and 15 on opposite sides of said central partition 13, the partitions 15 forming the ends for the brace member. The partitions are all integrally formed with side webs 16, whose lower edges are curved in convex planes to increase the Width of the brace member at the center, which is directly under the joint of the rail-sections above. The brace member 12 is confined within the area defined by the ribs 11, the top bars 12a being extended at opposite ends and bearing against the said ribs, so that the said brace member will be held against longitudinal shifting movement in the trackbed.

terminals of U-shaped tie-clamps 18 passed through the opposite ends thereof, the said terminals of the tie-clamps being secured in connection with the ends of the clip-bars by nuts 19, resting or bearing against the upper sides of said bars. The clamping-bars 18 transversely surround thebrace member 12, adjacent to the opposite ends of the latter, and are fitted in grooves 20, formed in the lower edges of the web 16. The clip-bars 17 and slots 5 and 10 are so proportioned as to size that the rail-sections will be permitted to have a slight movement for the purpose of expansion and contraction, and it will be seen that the said clip-bars 17 not only serve as IOO means, together with the clamps 18, for securing the truss attachment to the rail-sections, but also operate to hold the ends of the railsections together. As before indicated, the greatest point of strain on the joint is disposed over the center of the brace member, and the central portion of said brace member is deeper than at the ends to provide an additional reinforce. To further strengthen thebrace member, in view of the central disposition of the greatest strain in a transverse direction, a bonding rod or bar 21 is employed and is fitted in slots 22, formed in the centers of the lower ends of the partitions 13 and 14 and also passes through openings222M in the ends or partitionsl, the said slots 22 continuing into central grooves 28 to provide seats for the said bar 21. The slots 22, grooves 23, and openings 22a are in alinement, and the bonding-rod is curved to dispose the same in parallel relation with the planes of the lower convex edges of the web 16, and thereby equally distribute the reinforcing action of the said rod 21. The opposite terminals of the rod 21 are projected beyond the outer surfaces of the end partitions 15 and are formed with screw-threads to receive nuts 24. When the nuts 24 are tightened up against the end partitions 15, the brace member 12 is materially strengthened, and particularly in view of the fact that the strain of the U-'shaped tie-clamps 18 is brought to bear on the said brace member adjacent to the end partitions. By this means the brace member 12 will be prevented from becoming fractured lby the central strain imposed thereon from above and the joint of the rail-sections will be held in firm immovable relation not only by the tenon construction heretofore set forth, but by the resistance to downward movement of the rail ends set up by the said brace member. During the expansive and contracting movements of the rail-sections the parts comprised in the organization of the truss attachment, including the chair and brace member,

j will remain in theposition desired, as the brace member, in view of its extension downwardly into the track-bed, will obviate any longitudinal movement of the chair in the event that the spikes holding the latter may become loosened ordisengaged, and in addition to this feature the brace member disposcs an increased amount of material under the joint of the rail-sections with obvious advantages.

The improved joint structure set forth will be found exceptionally efficient and can be employed in both surface and elevated railroad construction. To suit dierent applications, changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. The combination with rail-sections terminally joined and having slots extending transversely therethrough, of a truss attachment disposed under the joint, and clip-bars projecting through the said slots and secured to the truss attachment.

2. The combination with rail-sections terminally joined and having slots extending therethrough, of a truss attachment disposed under the joint, clip-bars extending through the slots, and tie-clamps surrounding the truss attachment and terminally secured in the opposite extremities of the clip-bars.

3. The combination with rail-sections terminally joined and having slots extending transversely therethrough, of a truss attachment comprising a brace member, means partially extending throughsaid slots for securing the brace member to the rail-sections, and a bonding-rod extending through said brace member.

4. The combination of rail-sections terminally joined and having transversely-extending slots therethrough, a chair in which the j oint-terminals of the rail-sections are seated, a brace member disposed against the under side of the chair, clip-bars extending through the slots of the rail-sections, tie-clamps surrounding the brace member and terminally secured in the opposite extremities of the clip-bars, and a bonding-rod extending longitudinally through the lower portion of the brace member.

5. The combination with a railroadrail joint, of a brace member disposed thereunder and secured thereto, said brace member hav- IOO ing depending partitions with connecting side Webs, and a bonding-rod extending centrally through the partitions, the said brace member having its greatest depth directly under the joint.

6. The combination with a railroad rail joint, of a brace member disposed thereunder, means for securing the said brace member to the rail-sections and surrounding the brace member adjacent to the ends of the latter, and a bonding-rod extending longitudinally through the center of the lower portion of the brace member.

7. The combination with a railroad rail joint, of a chair applied to the rail-sections under the jointand having opposite transversely-extending ribs at the bottom, a brace member having a top plate disposed against the kbottom of the chair and terminally engaging the said ribs, means for connecting the brace member to the rail-sections and the chair, and means for longitudinally bonding said brace member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THORNTON L. WATTS.

IIO 

